Lost Memories
by soulsoaringmusic
Summary: CHAPTER 8 NOW UP Something strange occurs while Mulder and Scully are searching for missing persons in the woods. Events unfold that put Mulder in a very forgetfull position and Scully left searching for answers.
1. Chapter 1

Finally my writers block has left me, and I've started a new story which I've been working on for a few weeks(it's not yet completely written.) Genre: Angst/Drama Rating: PG(13?) Email Me: sidle821@hotmail.com Summary: Something strange occurs while Mulder and Scully are searching for missing persons in the woods. Events unfold that put Mulder in a very "forgetful" position and Scully searching for answers. Disclaimer: Of course I do not own any rights to the x files..blah blah blah..  
  
*CHAPTER 1*  
  
...  
  
The towering forest of trees was overpowering as the moonlight struck the branches just right; the sky above them casted in a violet haze.  
  
Mulder wasn't sure exactly what he was looking for or what he was going to find. All he knew was that there were three dissapearances within the past fourty-eight hours which occured in the same area, and he knew this forest was known for sightings. He promised the loved ones of these people that he would find them, and he intended on keeping his word.  
  
Lights danced from above them as they ran through the shrubbery as fast as they could. The air was chilling and there were loud noises coming from the skies above them. They would stop every so often to see if they could get a better look at what it was they were chasing, but the light blinded them before they could even get a glance. It appeared that there was only one aircraft however, and it was considerably noisy for being the only one in the sky. A hurricane of wind was created and circled around them as they fought to find out more about this aircraft.  
  
Screams could be heard in the distance and a thick warmth began to surround the whole area. The scent of black smoke filled the air and the warmth grew hotter. As they tried to escape, the flames seemed to creep even closer to them.  
  
The light from the craft above them started to descend and neither of them could see anything around them at this point.  
  
They began yelling out eachother's names to make sure the other was alright.  
  
"Mulder?" Scully yelled from down below. But he could not answer her.  
  
...  
  
As he opened his eyes they began to adjust slowly to the brightness of the room surrounding him. When his surroundings finally became visable, he could not believe his eyes. He couldn't believe he was experiencing this, seeing with his own eyes the truth he had been searching for for so long a time. He peered around in amazement, absorbing as much of this as he could.  
  
He looked around the room for Scully but concluded that she was still on the ground. Even if she was there for him to talk to, he would not be capable of speaking.  
  
He began taking mental pictures in his head, capturing as much of the room as he could. Many truths had been burried in this ship, which he knew had to be only one of many other spacecrafts. But had he come too close this time? Was there someone or something aboard the spacecraft who planned on keeping him there for research? He wasn't sure, it looked like something the military had set up and was running, but he didn't want to stick around too long to find out. Still he couldn't pass the opportunity of uncovering the truths which were in that room.  
  
With information from this room alone, he could prove beyond a doubt the many lies which circled around the government. He could even prove things about his sister, and Scully's abduction. All of the answers seemed to be right within his grasp.  
  
As he prepared himself to journey deeper into the ship, something stopped him. His opportunity had been lost as he was sucked out of the craft and hurled back onto the ground just as fast as he had been taken up moments before.  
  
...  
  
"Yea, I've got a male here who matches the description of our missing persons," the officer said, speaking loudly into his radio.  
  
"Sir, can you hear me?" the officer asked while feeling for the man's pulse.  
  
Mulder didn't quite have the strength to open his eyes to see who was talking to him, but he soon did so when he realized that his clothing was damp. He opened his eyes to realize he was laying on top of the dew covered grass in the middle of a forest.  
  
"Very good. My men are on their way to assist you shortly. What is his condition?" a voice crackled from the other end of the radio.  
  
The officer seemed relieved to see him open his eyes.  
  
"He has opened his eyes sir, " he stated into the radio.  
  
"Do you have confirmation of his identity?" the voice asked.  
  
"Sir, can you tell me your name?" he asked Mulder.  
  
Despite how much he wanted to talk, Mulder couldn't bring himself to utter a word. He felt so tired and dazed. He just stared at the man blankly, his mouth moving slightly but still no answer coming out of it.  
  
Recieving no response, the man pulled Mulder's suit coat open and retrieved a wallet from the inside pocket. Inside it had his driver's license with an older picture of him on it. It read Daniel Foster; brown hair, hazel eyes, six feet tall, 170 pounds.  
  
"Confirming a positive I.D. on our Daniel Foster. We've got our guy," he reported.  
  
...  
  
Feedback is not only needed but appreciated ;)  
  
thanks for reading, I will have Chapter 2 up within a week :)  
  
~*Jess*~ 


	2. Chapter 2

*CHAPTER 2*  
  
...  
  
The ambulance had come for Mulder back in the woods and he was now being held at a medical clinic for testing. He was, by that time, connected to various monitors and tubes, keeping record of his vital signs and monitoring brain activity.  
  
"Mr. Foster, someone's here to ask you some questions whenever you are ready," the nurse said sweetly as she popped her head in to tell Mulder.  
  
He flinched at the name Foster, but allowed it to pass. "Now is fine," he assured her.  
  
No sooner than Mulder finished his sentence, a tall, older man walked through the door.  
  
"Good afternoon, Daniel. How are you feeling?" the man inquired out of politeness.  
  
"Considering the circumstances and the fact that everyone is referring to me as Daniel-whats-his-name..I'm feeling better," Mulder answered with a weak smile.  
  
"I see. Well actually that's what I've come to talk with you about today," he began.  
  
Mulder noticed the FBI identification tag located on the man's left coat pocket.  
  
"Well sir, I see your with the Bereau as well. Although I may not be the most liked person at the FBI, surely you've heard my name mentioned through the grapevine at one time or another," Mulder insisted, knowing news traveled fast about his obsession with the paranormal.  
  
"You say you work on cases called 'X Files' if I'm not mistaken?"  
  
"That's correct. Agent Dana Scully was assigned as my partner in 1993."  
  
"Mr. Foster..."he began with uncertainty in his voice.  
  
"I don't know how else to say this other than saying it straight out. We looked into what you have told us, and there is no record of 'The X Files' ever existing at the Bereau, and certainly no record of you working there, nor a record of a 'Fox Mulder' or 'Dana Scully' working there. In fact, Fox Mulder is non-existant according to our files."  
  
He paused for a moment.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"Are you kidding me? I can tell you my badge number, rank, and apartment number. I am not suffering from insanity if that's what your insisting," he said, slightly annoyed.  
  
"That's not at all what I was going to suggest, Mr. Foster. In fact, after monitoring you for the past few hours, we've been able to learn more about what really has happened."  
  
"Which is what..?" Mulder asked, his voice softer than before.  
  
"We believe you've had some sort of memory loss," he explained.  
  
"Amnesia." Mulder stated simply.  
  
"Well, I'm not sure if you would call it that...but from what I can tell, you definately have forgotten much of who you really are." ...  
  
The first thing Scully saw when she first cracked her eyes open was Skinner standing next to her in silence. Her first reaction was of confusion, but she soon realized how she must have been admitted to the hospital. Different areas of her body had bandages covering them, and the areas felt hot and fiery.  
  
"Dana...how are you feeling?" he said in relief to see her awake.  
  
"Besides the obvious..I'm feeling fine, sir," she assured him.  
  
She looked around the room and noticed something was missing.  
  
"Where's Mulder?"  
  
She knew something wasn't right by the look in Skinner's eyes.  
  
"What is it?" she questioned with concern.  
  
Skinner decided it was best for him to sit before he continued. He reached for her hand and clasped it firmly, his eyes glossed with sadness.  
  
"I'm sorry Scully, I'm afraid Mulder didn't make it," he explained with a hoarse voice, putting his head down in grief.  
  
Scully's throat tightened and she could not find the words to say.  
  
"What? I-I..don't understand sir..how?"she spoke as she swallowed hard.  
  
"The burnings on his body were too severe," he managed to answer.  
  
Just the thought of it caused her feelings to pour out without her control. At that moment, she felt it impossible to accept the fact that he was dead and gone.  
  
But he was.  
  
It hurt so much more to know the manner in which he died.  
  
Skinner's glossy eyes started to leave a trail of a tear stream down his cheek. He put a comforting arm around Scully as she began to cry openly. ...  
  
I'm going to be extremely busy this week so I probably won't be posting for a few days :)  
  
hope your enjoying,  
  
~*Jess*~ 


	3. Chapter 3

*CHAPTER 3*  
  
...  
  
Mulder wondered if this man was ever capable of shutting up. No matter what he said, he seemed to be getting nowhere with him. Through all of this, he felt as though he was becoming sleepier by the second. He hated being hooked up to all of the I.V.'s.  
  
"So, if you think that what I'm telling you isn't real, where would you suggest I got all this information from?" Mulder was finally giving in, his sleepiness getting the best of him.  
  
"You say you were taken up by a spacecraft?"  
  
*There he goes with another question,* Mulder thought.  
  
"You could say that, yes," he answered him blankly.  
  
"Well according to your wife, you are known for having a slight obsession with the paranormal," he said with a chuckle.  
  
"My *wife*?" he said in complete shock.  
  
"Yes, she works here. She was going to come see you after her shift because you were sleeping when she came earlier," he explained.  
  
"Sleep. That sounds good right now," Mulder mumbled, his eyelids weighing down heavily, nearly covering his eyes.  
  
Before the man could excuse himself from the room to allow Mulder to rest, he was already sound asleep. ...  
  
Mulder awoke to the muffled sound of talking outside of his hospital room. He noticed he was hooked up to tubes but couldn't remember why, and wondered how long he had been there.  
  
He barely had his eyes opened when a woman began to enter the room. She was a red head who appeared to be a few years younger than him, her eyes bore deeply into his with a sincere look of concern. The man who Mulder talked with earlier entered the room close behind the woman.  
  
"Rebecca has come to see you," the man said warmly as he exited the room, leaving the door open a crack.  
  
"Daniel," she whispered.  
  
Mulder felt dazed and wasn't clear on much that was going on. He couldn't remember who he really was anymore. He felt sorry for this woman and the fact that he couldn't recognize her.  
  
Though He tried to remember, he could not.  
  
"Hello, Rebecca," is the best he could do.  
  
"It's okay if you don't remember me," she said with reassurance, although it clearly hurt her to see him react to her in this way.  
  
"I'm sorry," he said as he rubbed his temples, almost embarassed that he still didn't know her.  
  
She watched him eyeing her over for a minute, noticing he still looked at her in the way that a complete stranger would have looked at her. She soon took a seat and laid her hand over his.  
  
"I'm Rebecca Foster...your wife," she stated, hoping he would remember something.  
  
Mulder's head was spinning, he couldn't remember a thing. Had she not addressed him as Daniel, he wouldn't even have remembered his own name. The fact that he didn't know this woman who was his own wife frusterated him even more.  
  
A blinding pain soon shot through his temples, and he bent forward as his vision seemed to white out. Before him he saw a quick glimpse of a woman who's face he could not make out, though her hair was no doubt flaming red. He tried to see who she was, to remember anything about her, but the glimpse faded as quickly as it had come. ...  
  
After a week in the hospital room, things started feeling slightly claustrophobic and Mulder was anxious to get out. His wife said that the doctor's were arranging for a few tests to be run on him before he could be admitted into the ward where they housed their regular patients.  
  
Ever since he saw the glance of the woman with the red hair, he couldn't stop thinking about it. Sometimes things would come back to him quickly, but before he could remember correctly they would leave him again.  
  
He sat there and thought about her, wondering what significance she had in his life and if she ever thought of him. He could remember feeling something different for her than he remembered feeling for anyone else. Although he didn't know who she was, seeing her somehow comforted him more than anything else could.  
  
Maybe these were memories of his wife, but he didn't know for sure.  
  
"Time for your pills," the nurse said as she entered the room with a pill cup in one hand and a glass of water in the other.  
  
The pills slid smoothly down his throat and he thanked the nurse as he handed back to her the empty glass.  
  
"The doctor's will be taking you in shortly for some tests," she said with a smile as she left.  
  
...  
  
Again, I am really busy so there won't be posts for a couple of days :P  
  
thanks for your patience,  
  
~*Jess*~ 


	4. Chapter 4

*CHAPTER 4*  
  
...  
  
She sat there in unbelief. Unbelief that this was real, unbelief that she was in this church, and unbelief that he was dead. She didn't know if she expected herself to go first, but she certainly never thought she'd see this day; or at least that's what she hoped. Was it selfish to want that? She didn't know. But it didn't matter, nothing changed the fact that somehow she lived through the accident in the forrest and he didn't.  
  
She thought the worst part was over. She went to the morgue after they released her from the hospital, hoping it would give her some closure and that the strange feeling she felt would somehow be slightly mended. She quickly proved herself wrong however when she arrived.  
  
Walking in to the lifeless environment; she thought she'd be somewhat used to it since she works in that type of environment ever day. But this was different. Mulder was one of those many bodies just stored away in a room waiting to be burried.  
  
She spotted where his body was located and pulled on the handle, revealing a body covered by a sheet. She was hesitant at first to pull it back, but she knew she had to or she'd never live with herself.  
  
It was worse than she imagined. She could not even recognize him through the severe burnings that covered every inch of him. She gasped at the sight of him, and soon covered his body again with the sheet because she couldn't stand to see him like that any longer.  
  
She thought that would be the hardest thing, but she now realized the hard part had only begun. Walking up to his closed casket, her legs barely supported her small frame. She hardly managed to make it all the way there without her legs falling out from under her.  
  
She finally realized that you never truly realize how much someone means to you until it's too late. And the part that she regretted most is that she would never be able to tell him. ...  
  
The next day, Scully was already back in the FBI basement office, looking through various files of the victims Mulder and her were searching for that night. Among them was a file of a woman in her mid-thirties, who had auburn hair almost the same shade as Scully's. Her name was Elizabeth Warner; she was reported missing one week before the night of the fire that took Mulder's life.  
  
Scully's thoughts were soon interrupted by a faint knock.  
  
"Scully? You shouldn't be here, your in no condition to work," Skinner said as he approached her.  
  
"Good morning to you too, Sir," she said sarcastically.  
  
"The truth is, even if I wanted to take time off, I couldn't. It's important to me that I look further into the files of these people," she explained.  
  
"You can do that later, right now you need to go home. And that's an order."  
  
"Thanks for your concern Sir, but with all due respect, I need to do this for myself."  
  
...  
  
"Daniel...Daniel?" Rebecca said as she gently shook Mulder's arm to wake him.  
  
He slowly lifted his eyes open and looked at her in confusion.  
  
"I'm sorry to wake you, but the doctor's are ready to see you," she said warmly.  
  
"What is it exactly that they'll be doing?" he asked, still half asleep.  
  
"They just want to make sure your recooperating correctly so they'll probably be doing some scans," she told him.  
  
"If it makes you feel any better, I'm going in for some testing today as well," she said, trying to comfort him.  
  
"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. I was just curious," he gave her a smile of reassurance.  
  
*15 minutes later*  
  
"Your going to have to be concious for this first test, Mr. Foster, but after that we will be putting you out for the remainder of the testing," he informed him.  
  
"Is there something wrong?" he asked.  
  
"No Sir, it's just procedure," he smiled widely.  
  
...  
  
Rebecca Foster layed on top of the table, anxious for the testing to start so she could get it over with. This never had been her favorite part of working at this place, but it all came with the territory. The first time was always the worst; after that, you more or less became used to it. She was more concerned about her husband at that point, but she knew he'd get through it, just like the rest of them did.  
  
A restraint was strapped around each of her arms and legs, helping her to remain still during the "procedure", as the doctor's liked to call it. If you asked her, it was more like torture, but no one dared to complain. She didn't know why, but she knew it was necessary, and she didn't even think about questioning it.  
  
The squealing of the drill starting up always went through her. At that point of the procedure, she always tried to think of something else; something happy to keep her mind off of it. But today, she thought of her life and how there was no substance to it. It was the same routine every day, and sometimes she wondered if there was more to life than what was inside of those hospital walls.  
  
She had a rude awakening however as the drill grinded relentlessly into her bare skin. ...  
  
As you know...I'm still really busy lol. The next part will be up in a few days :)  
  
~*Jess*~ 


	5. Chapter 5

*CHAPTER 5*  
  
...  
  
Scully couldn't fight the feeling that there was something more to this whole situation that she needed to uncover. After reviewing the same files over and over the feeling only grew stronger, though she never got closer to any answers. She went over in her head once more the events of that night, trying to pick out anything that would lead her closer to some closure.  
  
  
  
Scully's train of thought was interrupted by the ringing of the phone.  
  
"Scully," she answered.  
  
"Agent Scully, A.D. Skinner would like to see you in his office," she informed her.  
  
"Thank you," she said as she hung up the phone. ...  
  
"Have a seat," he told her as she entered the office.  
  
"Sir? What's this about?" she asked with concern as she took a seat in front of his desk.  
  
"Michelle Cain was found burned to death about an hour ago," he said with regret.  
  
"Where?" she asked after a brief silence.  
  
"Mountrail County, North Dakota," he explained, not quite beleiving it himself.  
  
Scully had a look of disbelief on her face. She needed to find out how that girl got from a forest in Alabama to North Dakota.  
  
"I'd like to be put on this case, Sir," she finally said.  
  
"Scully...I can't do that," he told her.  
  
"I need to do this," she protested.  
  
He felt it in his better judgment that she didn't work on the case, yet he understood why she wanted to do this.  
  
"Fine...I'll see what I can do. Just don't make this too personal," he said with concern.  
  
"Thank you, Sir." ...  
  
"How are you feeling?" Rebecca asked as she entered the room Mulder was recently admitted to after he was done with the testing.  
  
It was basically an upgraded version of the last room he was in. This was where he would permanently stay, and where the clinic housed all of their regular patients. The room felt a lot more apartment-like than the previous one; a change for the better in Mulder's eyes.  
  
"A little sore," he answered her with a smile.  
  
Rebecca moved closer and sat down next to him.  
  
"You'll be staying in the ward where all of the workers stay now," she told him with a grin.  
  
"And what does that mean?" he questioned with a smirk.  
  
"Well for one thing, the food's a lot better here," she said smiling.  
  
She noticed his smile turn into a look of seriousness.  
  
"What is it?" she asked.  
  
"Nothing, I was just thinking."  
  
"About?" she prompted him to continue.  
  
"About everything; all of this. About who I am. It's all so subtle," he explained.  
  
"We all felt that way at one point," she said as she put an encouraging hand over his.  
  
"How did you get here?" he asked.  
  
"Just about the same way as you, I suppose. That's how we all got here. We were taken in, they took care of us, and now we work here to help people who were once like us," she explained.  
  
"And how is that?"  
  
"Forgetfull. Suffering from memory loss," she said.  
  
"And you remember everything now?" he questioned.  
  
"I would say generally yes, I do," she told him with a nod.  
  
"What about us? How long have you and I been married?" he asked, still failing to remember.  
  
"I- I don't remember," she said, surprising herself. She didn't recall ever knowing, and didn't know why.  
  
"What about when we first met, how old were we?" he continued.  
  
"I can't recall the exact moment.." she said with her head slightly lowered.  
  
"What about you? What is your maiden name?" he questioned her yet again.  
  
This time she realized he was making a point, and she didn't feel the need to respond and remained silent.  
  
"Don't you find that to be slightly odd?" he finally asked.  
  
"I guess I never thought about those things before," she admitted in a dissapointed tone.  
  
Mulder looked up as a doctor entered the room. He now realized the doctor, who was standing right outside, had heard most of their conversation.  
  
"It looks like it's way past time for your medication, Daniel," the doctor informed him.  
  
"My wife and I were just engaging in some 'quality' time if you don't mind- "  
  
"I want you to calm down, Mr. Foster, this will only take a minute," he scolded as he strapped Mulder to the bed.  
  
"Could you excuse us, Rebecca?" the doctor said with a somewhat demanding voice.  
  
"I'm sorry, of course Sir," she apologized as she left.  
  
"The calmer you are, the easier this will be on both of us."  
  
...  
  
thanks for your patience!  
  
~*Jess*~ 


	6. Chapter 6

For those of you interested in reading more of my work, I have other fan fiction I wrote that you can access through my profile :)  
  
*CHAPTER 6*  
  
...  
  
After hurridly packing her belongings and surviving through a large backup of traffic, Scully finally arrive at the airport. If she hurried, she would just make the next flight to North Dakota.  
  
She rushed through the terminal with the small ammount of baggage that she brough and barely made it on the plane in time. She took her seat next to an older woman who Scully believed to be in her late sixties. She had short curly grey hair and wore glasses. Scully smiled politely as she sat down next to her and settled into her seat.  
  
The plane soon took off and Scully finally had a moment to relax. She closed her eyes and laid the back of her head against the seat.  
  
"Excuse me, young lady," she heard the woman next to her say with a fragile voice.  
  
Scully gathered the energy to open her eyes and look at the woman to see what she wanted.  
  
"Would you happen to have any aspirin with you? I have a terrible headache and left my pills in my suitcase," she said sweetly.  
  
"I should have some in here," Scully said as she rumaged through her purse. She soon found them and handed two to the woman.  
  
"Thank you dear," she said graciously.  
  
She laid her head back into the position it was in before, and attempted to get a moment of peace.  
  
"So what brings a young woman like yourself to North Dakota all alone?" she asked as she popped the pills into her mouth.  
  
Scully's head spun with annoyance. Why was she always seated with the talkative passangers?  
  
"Business. And you?"  
  
"I'm afraid it's not as simple as that. My brother just passed away...I'm going to the funeral," she replied with a lost look in her eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry to hear that, m'am," she said with sympathy, now sitting up in attention.  
  
The woman soon began to cry, which made Scully feel awkward. She felt the need to comfort the poor woman.  
  
"I can relate to how your feeling," she began with a warmth in her voice. However, it became harder for her to continue.  
  
"My partner passed on...just a few weeks ago," her voice began to break without warning. Hearing herself say it out loud brought a cold realization over her.  
  
"Oh goodness, I didn't mean to upset you as well," the woman told her.  
  
"My husband died as well. It'll be six years next month that he's gone," she said, now trying to comfort Scully.  
  
Scully left out a mild chuckle through her tears when she heard the woman say this.  
  
"It wasn't like that. He was my partner at work, we never had that kind of relationship," she stated with a slight grin as she took a tissue to her eyes and regained her composure.  
  
"Well I know love when I see it. It sounds to me like he meant a good deal more to you than just your working partner," she said with the instinct of a mother.  
  
"Maybe so, but neither of us would've ever admitted it to ourselves, yet alone to eachother." Scully's gaze lowered.  
  
"Now I guess we'll never know." ...  
  
"What is your full name?" Was the first question the doctor asked off of his chart, starting a series of questions.  
  
"Daniel Foster," Mulder answered.  
  
"Your wife's name?" the doctor continued.  
  
"Rebecca Foster."  
  
"In what state were you born?"  
  
"North Dakota-is this really necessary?" Mulder asked in annoyance.  
  
"I know these first few questions are obvious Daniel, but it's all part of the test," the doctor assured him.  
  
"What is the current state of your father and mother?"  
  
"They are both deceased."  
  
"How did you get here, Daniel?"  
  
"I suffered from heat stroke while hiking in the woods and was found unconsious the next day, then was admitted here," he explained.  
  
"Good. It seems your recovery so far has been speedy and efficient," the doctor stated as he jotted down notes on the pad he was holding.  
  
"We will however have to have you back here tomarrow for further questioning to complete the test."  
  
"That will be all, Mr. Foster," he said as he prepared for his next patient. ...  
  
Rebecca sat patiently in Mulder's room, waiting for him to return.  
  
"How did it go?"  
  
"The doctor says I'm making a good recovery."  
  
"I'm so glad, Daniel." They were now standing in front of eachother and she put her hand on his shoulder. Her eyes began to fill with tears, but she held them in.  
  
His memory was foggy, but he remembered in his heart feeling a deep love and respect for this woman. Though he couldn't make out her features, her red hair shone out more than anything else, and he remembered the feeling of putting his fingers through it as he held her on different occassions. He wanted that back, he needed something to love. He needed that feeling of security in his life. Someone to comfort him, as well as someone to comfort.  
  
"I wanted to apologize for my distance lately. You've been helping me through this and I never even thought to thank you," he told her sincerely.  
  
"You don't have to worry about that anymore. Everything is going to be just fine now." She smiled at him with relief, picturing them being together again as before. She badly wanted things to go back to normal, and she felt this was the next step.  
  
"Well, I'll leave you rest now, I'm sure the doctor ordered you to." She looked him over one last time before she turned around to exit.  
  
"Don't leave," his voice insisted from behind her.  
  
"I won't leave you," she said as she walked back into the room. She was glad he wanted her to stay, and she would stay there with him for the remainder of the night. ...  
  
Feedback please :)  
  
~*Jess*~ 


	7. Chapter 7

Hey! I finally wrote more!  
  
...  
  
Scully was now off the flight and driving a rental car, on the way to a motel close to where the woman was found. It would be a long drive, and she already began to feel lonely. Talking to the lady on the flight earlier filled that void for a short time, but now there was no one to talk to. There'd be no one to talk to for the next few hours. She thought about turning on the radio but decided against it. She would enjoy the peace and quiet for now. After all, she always complained about never having time to herself, and now was her chance.  
  
The road she was traveling on had no traffic for quite a few miles. On occassion she would pass through a town so small it vanished behind her as quickly as it came into view. This led to many more miles of no traffic with woodlands surrounding her. She couldn't wait to reach the motel where there would at least be some sign of life.  
  
...  
  
Today was a day exploring the next step in freedom for selected occupants at the hospital. The patients were told that if their test results met the hospital's requirements that they could be released from inside the hospital for a short while and enjoy the outdoors.  
  
Mulder hadn't been outside since he was found in the forrest over a month ago and he was looking forward to getting some fresh air. Hospitals were always so depressing to him, even though he was staying in more of a dorm- like facility rather than a hospital room. He still felt constricted after being in the hospital all this time and being monitored frequently. He was just hoping he wouldn't have to constantly be hooked up to an IV for much longer.  
  
After checking in with each patient and revealing to them their test results, the successful ones were released to go outside in an orderly fashion. Mulder felt they were being treating almost as if they were children, and he soon wandered away from the group once they reached the lawn in front of the hospital.  
  
There were outdoor tables and chairs scattered around the area where some people gathered to talk. Others just strolled around, enjoying the beauty of nature. The leaves on the trees were full and green, typical since it was summer.  
  
Being outside of the hospital gave him a refreshing feeling, and for the first time in a long time he felt there was more meaning to life than living in that hospital.  
  
Did he really remember what was out there? He thought about this as he ventured further away from the hospital. He remembered things about his parents, he remembered things about his wife, but it was the everyday things that suddenly seemed new to him. The breeze that was flowing past him and the smell of the pine trees got his attention. He once knew what those things were, but it was as if he were experiencing it for the first time.  
  
Mulder realized he had gone alot further than he thought. Infact, he couldn't see the hospital anymore. And the further he went, the more freedom he felt. He knew they would probably come looking for him after a while, but he didn't care. He wanted to learn more about what he was missing out on, and the longer he walked, the more curious he became.  
  
He heard a humming noise draw closer and closer and wondered what it might be. Soon around the corner, a car came into view. He looked at the driver inside and his head began to spin, his mind aching. The red hair, the blue eyes..they were familiar.  
  
The car was going much faster than him, and he failed to move out of the middle of the road in time. The car squealed it's brakes as the driver swerved around him, and continued traveling down the road without ever stopping to see if he was alright.  
  
...  
  
Scully was continuing on the same road for what felt like an hour, without seeing a single sign suggesting there were any towns in the area. According to her calculations though, she would reach the motel within the next ten minutes.  
  
The road was filled with plenty of twists and turns, and Scully almost began to feel nautious after going around them so much. As she went around the next turn, a man quickly came into view. He was wearing a hospital gown and was peering straight into her eyes. It was almost as if she became paralyzed in the moment, she couldn't react fast enough to the fact he was standing there, but could only stare at him. He distinctly reminded her of him, but it couldn't be. The resemblance was too great to deny. But before she could study him more within those short few seconds, she snapped back to reality and swerved quickly around him.  
  
She was seeing things. This would never be possible. She had to stop doing this to herself.  
  
These are the things that ran through her head, and she knew the only way to overcome this was to drive away. She had to forget about it, ignore it. She had to accept the fact that he was gone and she would never see him again. Scully pushed herself to keep driving without even taking a glance behind her. She concluded that she simply needed some sleep, and that was just what she was going to do once she reached the motel.  
  
...  
  
Just to fill you guys in...I will probably be posting each chapter from now on in 1-2 week intervals. Thanks for being patient :)  
  
~*Jess*~ 


	8. Chapter 8

Greetings all...I must apologize for my extended absence...something unexpected and tragic occured in real life and I didn't get the chance to write more of the story. So for those of you who are still out there, here is some more postage and hopefully it is payment enough to make up for my absence.  
  
...  
  
For the first time in as long as he could remember, Mulder felt a rush throughout his body. His adrenaline was racing and his heart was beating hard against his chest. He very well could have been killed in that moment, but his life was spared. There was no bright tunnel, no vision of his life that flashed before his eyes. Rather, he focused on the woman driving the car. Her gaze was captivating and her presence intrigued him. Although he never saw the woman before in his life, there was definately something about her he couldn't ignore.  
  
He had an instinctive feeling to follow on the road that he saw the car go.  
  
After fifteen minutes of walking down the same road, a building came into view. It was a small motel which looked for the most part deserted, with the exception of a few cars in the front.  
  
He scanned the area and it didn't take him long to spot the car which almost collided into him moments before. He ventured closer to the building, moving in the direction of where the car was parked. Whoever it was probably checked into the motel already and was settling in.  
  
He approached the door and knocked steadily, hoping to satisfy his curiousity.  
  
...  
  
There was a long silence as Scully gazed up in disbelief at the man who stood before her.  
  
Mulder began speaking after realizing what an awkward situation he had put himself into.  
  
"Sorry...I'm not even sure why I even came here.."he managed to say.  
  
He noticed that the woman looked shocked out of her mind.  
  
"I didn't mean to bother you. I know this sounds strange but, something has led me here. And I sense it was more than just a feeling by the look on your face."  
  
As the woman scrambled for the words to say, he asked what he had long been wondering. He long had wondered about the truth of this mystery woman, the girl with the fire red hair and beaming blue eyes who had graced his thoughts and dreams countless times in the past. He needed to know who she was.  
  
"Have we met before?" he asked her at last.  
  
But before he could recieve an answer from her, he watched as her body collapsed to the ground below him.  
  
...  
  
Scully woke up to the voice of the man who up until now, was dead.  
  
"How do you feel?" he asked as he ran his hand across her forehead.  
  
She looked around her to see she was now laying on the hotel bed of the room she checked into earlier.  
  
"I'm feeling...confused.."  
  
"Sorry.." he apologized, suddenly feeling a bit out of place. "I'm Daniel Foster."  
  
Mulder warmly extented his hand out to greet her. She studied it closely, turning her head from side to side before meeting it with the light grasp of her delicate hand.  
  
"Daniel Foster you said?" she asked, still feeling a little dizzy.  
  
He simply nodded 'yes' to her.  
  
'This is impossible..' she thought to herself for a moment. It couldn't, yet had to be him. Her curiosity got the best of her and she decided to find more out about this man who looked and spoke identically to Mulder.  
  
"Mr. Foster..may I ask how you got here?"  
  
"Sorry, I really should explain myself. I was taking a walk down the road from where I live and had an...'encounter' with you along the way," he said, half chuckling.  
  
"Yes..I'm sorry about that," she said shyly.  
  
"But the truth is, I didn't follow you here because of that. This may sound strange, but I came here because when I saw you on that road, seeing you was the only thing in my life that made sense.  
  
Honestly, I've been having thoughts about a woman and at first just accepted that it was my wife, but when I saw you, I knew it wasn't. I then knew it was you all along. And the sad thing is, I don't even know you."  
  
Scully was taken back by what she was hearing. She looked down at his clothes and also noticed earlier that he was wearing a hospital gown.  
  
"Mr Foster...why is it that you are wearing a hospital gown?"  
  
Mulder was hoping to avoid the subject and before she mentioned forgot he was even wearing it. He was embarassed to tell her where he had come from but was stupid to think she wouldn't have noticed.  
  
"I live in a facility just a few miles down the road. I will soon be wear my clothes now that I have met their requirements."  
  
"So your planning on actually going back to the facility?"  
  
"Well yes..I didn't 'run away' if that's what your thinking," he smiled. "Today they finally let out those who have met the requirements to walk around. I guess I didn't exactly follow the guidelines by trailing off into my own direction," he said, just realizing he may be in a bit of trouble when he returns.  
  
"What are these requirements that you've mentioned?"  
  
"They are procedures performed to make sure the individual is prepared to work in the facility's environment."  
  
"What kind of procedures?" Scully said slowly and with difficulty. She cringed at the word 'procedure' and hoped it wasn't what she thought it was.  
  
Mulder shuddered at the question and paused before continuing.  
  
"They were tests...painful tests at first. But everyone realizes that they need to be done and after a while get used to them," he answered with a clenched jaw.  
  
"But you didn't get used to them, did you," she said with regret.  
  
He just put his head down, knowing that she was right. "I don't think anyone does. I don't see how they could."  
  
"Mulder...we need to get you help," she said with concern, resting her left hand on his right shoulder.  
  
"It's too late now Scully," he replied doubtfully.  
  
Scully's head lifted up so fast she was surprised it was still attached to her body.  
  
"What did you call me?" she asked just above a whisper.  
  
"Scully. That's your name, right?" He thought nothing of it.  
  
"Yes but the amazing thing is...I never told you my name."  
  
Mulder sat there puzzled while Scully immediately retrieved her cell phone from her jacket pocket.  
  
"Who are you calling?"  
  
"We need to get you out of here," she said as she dialed the Assistant Director's office.  
  
After Skinner's secretary finally transfered the call into the office, Scully finally was able to speak with him.  
  
"Sir, it's me. You're not going to beleive this..but I'm sitting here with Mulder."  
  
"Excuse me?" the voice rattled over the cell phone's weak connection.  
  
"He's alive. I don't know how but he's sitting right here with me in my hotel room."  
  
"You mean to tell me that-"  
  
Scully interrupted. "Sir, just trust me on this one. I need to fly with him back to D.C. immediately, he needs help."  
  
Skinner's loud sigh was heard from over the phone. "Alright. I'll get you on the soonest flight possible."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
...  
  
Well there you have it. I hope there are still readers out there :)  
  
Feedback!!!  
  
~*Jess*~ 


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